Destination Wedding Photography in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

Jamie + Eric

Destination Wedding Photography

For a wedding photographer like me, being chosen to photograph a destination wedding is the ultimate compliment. If you read these blogs, you will know I don’t talk about superficial things – I like to write the way I photograph: Openly and honestly. So when I say it’s the ultimate compliment, it is because it takes A LOT of work to bring your own photographer to your destination wedding. Doubly so when it is an international destination wedding in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. There are challenges, hurdles, and expenses that never come up with normal weddings. Like couples having to pay a scammy “outside vendor fee” because the local wedding venues are all partnered up with local photographers. Planning, organizing, and coordinating the details becomes much more important, and the risk is greater if something goes wrong. I have heard of wedding photographers who couldn’t photograph a destination wedding because they were arrested at the border for trying to enter without the proper paperwork.

So why would a couple want to bring in an outside wedding photographer? For the same reasons I stress here on my website: Because some people don’t want the same old cookie cutter treatment with their destination wedding photos. By bringing me in, Jamie and Eric knew that they wouldn’t be treated like a number or name on a sheet of paper. They wanted an individualized treatment that you can’t get anywhere else, and a unique artistic “all-day” storytelling approach that frankly doesn’t even exist with the local venue photographers. I have always said that couples put their energy and money into the things that are most important to them with their wedding, and Jamie and Eric’s wedding photos were more important to them than anything else.

So I got to come with them and experience paradise right alongside them. I was able to photograph them over multiple days, showing the full experience from start to finish. I was able to get up close and personal with their wedding photography, and I was able to get to know them, their family, and their friends in the process. This personal approach resulted in more meaningful photos than the standard cookie cutter treatment. The only difference was the setting…which of course was a literal paradise unlike anything you can experience back home.

But don’t let me talk you to death over here, I would rather share it with you. This time I’m starting with a slideshow video, which is more dynamic, more meaningful, and I guarantee it will pull you in so you can experience their wedding day like nothing else can. Turn your sound on and check it out below:

The Big Picture

The video above is the best way to experience this epic wedding. But of course, I also have some of my favorite images below for you to enjoy. If slideshow videos aren’t your thing, check them out below!

Playa Del Carmen Destination Wedding Photography

Jamie and Eric’s wedding began in paradise, at Azul The Fives Beach Resort right on the beach at Playa Del Carmen, MX. Travel and adventure was always a core part of Jamie and Eric’s relationship, and there was no better place to celebrate beginning of their new lives together than an all-inclusive resort in Mexico! It was also important to them that their family and friends could join them so they could experience it all together. So everyone suited up and flew down to Playa Del Carmen via Cancun for an epic week of drinking, relaxing on the beach, gourmet meals…and of course plenty of alcohol. This is my idea of a good time too (off the clock of course), so I was more than happy to tag along.

My favorite aspect of getting to spend so much time with so many people before the wedding was the ability to actually meet and befriend so many of the friends and family. Jame and Eric didn’t want me to just sit around in the days before the wedding – they wanted me to celebrate too. I was invited to dinners, functions, I was involved in the planning, and drank with them at the pool. This is a luxury I don’t get to see very often at weddings, and I love it because it allows a unique familiarity that translates into a more personal look into their wedding. It’s the same reason I love all-day weddings, multiplied many times over.

Wedding Ceremony at Azul The Fives Skydeck

Jamie and Eric chose the Skydeck at The Fives resort for their wedding ceremony for one very important reason: Privacy. Beach weddings are beautiful, but many couples don’t consider that the beach is still a public place. Any bystander can wander around, stand in the background, and walk all through the ceremony if they like. While I was staying here, I witnessed this exact thing happen with other ceremonies so I was happy they chose to utilize the resort’s Sky Deck. Having the wedding ceremony here also meant there was no sand to mess up Jamie’s wedding dress. This was important, because we had plans on messing it up later for photos (Spoiler: It was worth it! Check out the last section of this page) So the Skydeck was a great choice, and we were still able to take photos later on the beach anyway. Win-win.

Beach Wedding Reception at Azul The Fives Gazebo

After the ceremony and some beach couple’s photos, we were ready for the reception. Jamie and Eric chose the resort’s gazebo area for the wedding reception, which created a perfect open-air beach wedding reception vibe.

Being an outside photographer means I get to do things that normal resort wedding photographers can’t – like waking up at 5am for night and sunrise photos on another day during our stay. I loved working with Jamie and Eric, and seeing them so calm, happy, and stress-free that morning was inspiring. It was the perfect cap to a perfect destination wedding. Being in Playa Del Carmen was just a bonus.

I hope you enjoyed Jamie and Eric’s Playa Del Carmen destination wedding as much as I loved being a part of it! It turned out to be my favorite experience all year, and I hope I can get back one day again. Thank you for tuning in!

Interested in having your own destination wedding, here or anywhere else on planet Earth? Send me a message today!